Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001)

From: Shannon Patrick Sullivan <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 19:06:10 -0000

JURASSIC PARK III (2001) / * 1/2

Directed by Joe Johnston. Screenplay by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne,
and Jim Taylor, based on characters created by Michael Crichton. Starring
Sam Neill, William H Macy, Tea Leoni. Running time: 94 minutes. Rated AA
by the MFCB. Reviewed on August 15th, 2001.

By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN

Synopsis: Original "Jurassic Park" survivor Alan Grant (Neill) is tricked 
by Paul and Amanda Kirby (Macy and Leoni) into leading an expedition to an 
island overrun by dinosaur, to rescue their stranded son. Grant's team is 
picked off one by one as they encounter dinosaurs both new and familiar, 
and Grant grows to realise that some breeds are more intelligent than he 
previously thought.

Review: There is one reason why "Jurassic Park III" is better than its 
immediate predecessor, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park". The latter wasted 
129 minutes of my life; the former, only 94. The first "Park" was a 
marvellous film, full of awe-inspiring sights, interesting characters, and 
genuine thrills. Its two successors have been pale imitations, amounting 
to hundred-million-dollar B-grade horror movies. At least this third entry 
realises it; whereas "The Lost World" tried to justify its existence with 
a ludicrous and overextended plot, "Jurassic Park III" simply sticks its 
characters on an island with a bunch of dinosaurs and lets the mayhem 
begin. There is a desperate sense of deja vu presiding over this movie; 
the computer-animated dinos are no longer novel or exciting, and even the 
first-time presence of aerial lizards scarcely improves the situation. 
Remember that wondrous first trolley ride through the Park in the original 
movie? Nothing in this rehash even comes close. Add in execrable dialogue 
from screenwriters Buchman, Payne and Taylor, and phoned-in performances 
by the normally capable Macy and Leoni, and it is difficult to recommend 
the film to anyone but dino enthusiasts. At least Neill makes some effort 
to retain the dignity of his character, and there is much less gore than 
in "The Lost World", making this installment more suitable for children.

Copyright © 2001 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
Archived at The Popcorn Gallery,
  http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html

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X-RT-RatingText: 1.5/4